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E. H. T0-BEY.

RAILROAD SIGNAL LIGHT.

No. 60,696I Patented D66. I8, 1666.

I l I 111mg@ glatten Cltatizs @anni @ffice IMPROVEMENT RAILROAD SIGNAL LIGHTS.

ELISHA H. TOBEY, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 60,594, dated December I8, 1866;

'IO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

-Be it known that I, ELISHA H. TOBEY, of Watertown, in the county of .Ieii'erson, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Signals; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my* invention ;.and

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same, on the line :z: y, fig. 1.

The signals to which my invention more particularly relates are those which are placed at certain points ,on railroads to indicate to trains whether or not it is safe to approach. It is well known that at those points on a. railroad where switches or side tracks branch from the main track these signals are erected, which, by the display of lights or plates of different colors, indicate to the engineer ofthe approaching train that everything is right, or that he must slacken speed, or stop the train, dto. Many methods of `arranging and operating the signal apparatus are employed; but all of them are defective in the extreme, and really aiford but little protection against the accidents they are designed to prevent. In all of them the light is not sutciently distinct, and even it' it were, the height of the frame'with which they are-employed is not sufficient to allow the light to` be seen any great distance, especially if there be sharp curves in the road. These signals are thus practically of little or no use to the engineer of the approaching train, and their chiel` use would seem to be to indicate to the switchman that everything is right. But if by any chance the switch-tender, after hoisting such a signal, should neglect to adjust his switches properly, the consequences to the train approaching at full speed would be moet disastrous. The object of my invention is to guard against all such dangers, so that, if from any cause the track is not in proper condition, the engineer shall have lample time to stop the train before arriving at the dangerous spot. To this end my invention consists principally in making the signal plate or face of the lantern or reilector box containing the light capable of being revolved, the reflector box remaining stationary. By this method a dial or signal plate, composed of glass of one or more colors, as desired, will, when revolved, produce an intermittent light, which, intensified by the reflecting surfaces of the box, can be seen at a very great distance, and will indicate by its revolution that the switchman is at his post.

My invention further-consists in the arrangement of the gear for transmitting motion to the rotary dial plate; in the construction and arrangement of the reflector box, so as to be capable of revolving in a horizontal plane at right angles to the plane of revolution of its dial plate; and in the combination of the re'ector box and frame with the main frame in which it slides, so that its dial plate may bc thrown in gear or out of gear,

as desired. I l

To enable others skillcd'in thc art to understandand use my invention, I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the same Iis or may be carried into effect, by reference to the accompanying drawings.

The apparatus there shown consists of the signal frame A, reflector box frame B, reflector box C, dial or signal plate D, gear mechanism for actuating the dial plate and rctlector box, and rope and pulleys for elevating and lowering the rellector box frame. The frame, A, is composed of two uprights, connected at thc top by a cross-piece. The frame is of suitable .size to receive the frame B between the two uprights, which have ways formed in their interior and opposite feces, ii which the reflector box {"ramc slides vertically. The uprights, A, maybe of any desired height, the construction and arrangement of the apparatus permitting them to be of much greater length than can be attained ordinarily, so that the signal light may be raised sixty feet or more, if desired. The reflector box frame, B, is intended, as its name indicates, to hold the reflector boxA It slides in ways between the uprig ts A, and is raised or lowered by rneans of a rope. F, attached to its top and taken out over pulleys, ff, in the upper cross-piecenA, extending thence downward to the ground, and being actuated either by weight-s or by hand. The revolvable reector box, C, is pivoted to the top and bottom of its frame, B, by pins a a', its axis oi` rotation passing through these points. Between the bottom of the box and the lower cross-piece of the frame, B, is a bevelled pinion, b, mounted on the pin a', and revolving therewith, meshing at the same time with a mitre-wheel, @attached to the frame B, over the hub, c', of which an endless rope or band, vt, passes, by means ci which th` mitre gear, c and b, :nay be revolved in either direction, thus ell'ecting the rotar-ion et' the reilector box, nomatter at what distance it is above the ground. The box, C, can

in this manner be made to iace'in either direction, or may be continuously revolved, so as to show its lightin a certain direction at intervalsonly. For the` purpose ot' holding it in position, a fipririfr1 catch d, suitably arranged. is placed in theffame B. 1lhe handle of this catch should have a cord att-ached to it, so that it may be drawn away fromfthc'box C when the latter is to bevrevolved. The light, e, is contained within the box C, the sides and end of which should be covered with sheets of tin or silver, or other suitable metal, to form reflecting surfaces5fand thus intensify and aiigment the brilliancy of the light. Over the open front of the reiiector box is fitted a revolving signal or dial plate D, held in place by a bolt 0r rod 7c, which forms its axis of rot-ation. The glass dial plate vis of one or more-colors, as desired, and it may be arranged, by means of partitions within the reflector box, se that the light, c, will illuminate either the whole or half of it at one time, or only one of its sections of colored glass. Upenv'the periphery of the plate are formed teeth m, which, when the reflector box is raised to the proper height 'in the frame A, mesh with the teeth of a Wheel E, which actuates or causes, in connection with other gear, the toothed dialplate to revolve. The gear-wheel, E, is secured to the frame, A,

.at the height at which the reflector box is required to be, and has attached to it a smaller mitre gear El, which engages with a pinion g, mounted on the end oi'y the rod G, upon the lower portion Vot' which a pinion, 7L, is mounted, meshing with and receiving motion from the toothed wheel, H, and crank I. It will be seen that by this arrangement the dial plate, when engaged with the gear E, can be easily thrown out of gear, it' desired, by raising or loweringr the frame B, which will cause the separation of the two. This, perhaps, it is desirableto do when the reflector box, C, is revolved, in order to avoid catching the teeth of the wheel against those of the dial plate during the horizontal revolution of the box. The journal of the wheel E extends through the upright A, and has mounted on its other end a second wheel E2, similar in all respects to the wheel E, with which the 'dial plate meshes when the reilector box is reversed, as shown in iig. 2, so that, whether the reflector box faces in one vdirection or the other, the dial plate will still mesh with and be revolved by the gear mechanism. The lower part of the `rod G has square fihape, and is intended to be-used in connection with the forked end of a rod or bar, attached to and moving with the switch, which rod, when the switch is not properly adjusted, will grasp and hold between its forks the square end of the rod G, and thus prevent the revolution of the gear and dial plate.

Under this arrangement the danger hereinbefore mentioned will be in great'measure if not entirely avoided. For, as it is the duty of the switch-tender to revolve the signal plate on the approach of a. train, and as the plate cannot be revolved unless the track is clear and the switches are properly set, the engineer, unless he can see the rotation ef the dial plate, will of course check the speed of or stop the train, knowing that something must lbe Wrong.

A wooden -or metal signal plate or disk, D, is placed over the glass one D in the day timebeing held on the bolt k, cn'which the plate D revolves. Either or both plates may be taken off by removing the nut from the head of the rod or bolt c.

The apparatus I have described can be constructed with great ease, and with but little expense comparatively, costing not near so much as ordinary signal lights now in use. I have described my invention with particular reference to railroads, but it may also be used on wharves and steamboats, and in any other connection in which ay strong and conspicuous signal is needed to indicate Whether or not it Will'be safe to approach a certain locality, or for other like uses.

Having described my invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. I claim the combination, with a revolving rellector box or other receptacle for a signal light, of a signal 4or dial plate, capable of being rotated in a plane at right angles to the plane in which the said box is revolved,

as herein shown and described.

2. In the apparatus herein described, I claim the combination of the dial or signal plate with the gearing by which it is revolved, under such an arrangement that the raising or lowering of the said plate in the signal frame shall cause it to be thrown in or out of gear, substantially as shown and set forth.

3. In combination with the main signal frame, I claim a reflector box or other receptacle for the signal light, under such an arrangement that the said box,'while sliding vertically in said frame, shall also be capable of being rotated in a horizontal plane, substantially as shown and described.

fl. In the herein described apparatus, I claim the combination, with the reflector box and revolving dial plate, whose axes of rotation are at right angles with each other, of the gear mechanism by which the said box and plate are respectively revolved, arranged for operation substantially as shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication before two subscribing witnesses.

E. H. TOBEY.-

Witnesses:

W. BAILEY, EDM. F. BROWN. 

